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She spun the blade from its looped hanger as she contemplated her next move. Wasn't this supposed to be a basic thing?

Throwing kunai was something taught and emphasized at the academy; after all, precision was important. But today seemed to be something of a failure for Hazuki, and she was glad the section of the training area she was in only contained her. It was sunny, but not too hot, so most people were probably enjoying the weather in better ways. She was out with a pile of kunai mostly because of her guilt of slacking off from training.

Oh, and it showed. She flung the kunai she held towards the wooden post that was set up a fair distance away from where she stood. It whizzed past her intended target and instead landed weakly into a tree behind the figure before falling to the ground where a few other knives were scattered. There were some closer to the post, and two even managed to stay lodged in the wood, albeit not as securely as she'd like.

Hazuki stared at where the kunai landed for a short moment before falling on her hands and knees in exasperation. "I can't even do what academy kids can do," she muttered as she stared at her hands, disheartenment obvious even in her quiet tone. She used to be okay at this, right? Or maybe it wasn't much better...after all, she hadn't been out here in a while. She knew it was stupid to quit, especially now, but her inaccuracies still discouraged her.

Kurai sighed out heavily after the ground stopped moving, which made him feel motion sickness. He hadn't realised how long he was holding his breath, so he was taking in a few gaping inhales when he noticed Hazuki drop his hand quickly. He thought it was kind of interesting to see her react for childishly. Kurai gained his balance back and approached the edge of the path cautiously to examine any damage to the village. "We should head back-" Kurai was cut off as some loose rocks crumbled underneath his feet and he felt his weight pull him down.

That was certainly one way to get down the mountainside. Fall down with the rockslide. He slid down a fair distance before he found himself on his back on a rock shelf, but he was injured from the fall and was still disorientated from the liquefaction of the ground during the earthquake to find the strength to move. "Ah, shit.." He cursed under his breath and grimaced in pain as he tried to sit up, but to no avail. For a split second, panic coursed through his system as he thought perhaps he was paralyzed.

Kurai felt tired laying on the small rock shelf. He had no idea how he would get down, but he seemed like he didn't even have a care or worry on his mind. His eyes were half-closed and dazed, it was obvious he was going into shock. "What happened?" He grumbled in a dry voice and turned his head to the side, but what he found was more shocking than the actual earthquake. Kurai's right arm was crushed under the weight of a large boulder, up until his shoulder joint. At first he didn't seem fazed by it until he noticed the splatter of blood that traveled up from under the boulder. "Hah.." Kurai breathed shakily, his eyes widening at the sight of the boulder so close. He knew it couldn't be good.. he didn't even feel his arm anymore.

And for the first time, Kurai lost his composure completely and let out a horrifying (yet manly) cry for help as he tried to move, not thinking rationally. He would rather rip his arm off than sit and endure it until help arrived. The more he moved, the more blood spurted from his shoulder which was making him go into more of a frenzy. "Get this thing off of me!"

Hazuki still didn't feel safe enough to turn away from the wall, so when she heard Kurai step towards the edge of the pathway, she freaked out silently until she heard the sound of rocks falling down and Kurai sliding down after them. "Senpai!" She cried out immediately, still facing the rock. Carefully, she turned towards the edge, making sure to test the ground as she went along. Hazuki peered down at him once she could see over the brink. She saw that a large rock blocked her from seeing his arm, so he had to be more injured than she anticipated.

She tried her best to keep calm by inhaling deeply, but shaking was audible in some of her breaths. Slowly, she lowered herself down and used her chakra to stick her feet on the mountainside so she was relatively safe. Then she made a few hand signs before bringing a hand to her mouth and releasing a strong gust of wind to blow the boulder off of Kurai's arm. Then she moved a little faster and bent down next to him.

"Eep," Hazuki sounded worried, but there was a disappointed undertone to it because Kurai just had to try to rip his arm out from under such a heavy rock. But she knew she couldn't blame him; trauma was also to blame. She grabbed the cloth bandage she had in her pouch and wrapped it around his wound quickly, yet neatly. It didn't need to last too long, anyway.

"Hold on!" She wrapped an arm under his upper back and made the handsign for shunshin. In a flash, they were both transported to the Konoha Hospital lobby. Hazuki supported him with her other arm now. "Please help!" She called out to the nurse at the desk, who stared at them bewilderedly before calling for a hospital bed to be wheeled in for Kurai. Hazuki had been at the hospital enough to know that they wouldn't allow her to be in the room until it was cleared, so she stood awkwardly as she watched the medics roll the Uchiha away to be treated. She fiddled around with her hands in a feeble attempt to calm down. Hazuki would never be able to be a medic if she couldn't even think properly in situations like these.

It would be a few hours before Kurai was finished undergoing emergency operation. They managed to save his arm, but had to put two metal rods through his arm to keep it straight, while pins were used to keep his shoulder, elbow and wrist in place while he heals. It would definitely be a long time before he would be back on missions, that's for sure.

The next time Kurai opened his eyes it was late into the evening as the sedation wore off. He still felt extremely lethargic though. "You're awake, how do you feel?" The nurses voice was echoing and made Kurai turn his head away, unable to answer. "You have someone waiting for you.. I'll go get them." The nurse left the room and brought Hazuki back in with her after a few moments. "I'll leave you alone," She was just being polite, but she would hover outside the ICU room in case alarms, bells and whistles start blaring.

It was silent, with only the sound of the machines beeping quietly and the muffled voices of other people outside the room. It would be so much better if another shinobi defeated him than have a rock fall on him. His pride was definitely deflated and he did not want Hazuki to witness this. "Did you go home?" Kurai finally mustered enough energy and whispered in a hoarse voice. "You should go home.." Kurai trailed off, but did not really want her to go. It would be too lonely without Hazuki here, even though she hadn't said anything. Continuing from before, indicating he would prefer her to stay, Kurai spoke again. "I am so ashamed.." All Kurai did was murmur a confession and attempt to move his injured arm to rip out the IVs in his good arm. However, he could not even move his fingers, let alone his entire arm. He gave a heavy, drowsy sigh in defeat.

Hazuki followed the nurse to the room Kurai was in and thanked her when she left. She made her way to his bedside slowly and quietly, allowing for only the electronic sounds to be heard. Hazuki said nothing, allowing him to speak first. "No, I don't mind," she insisted, looking at him though he didn't look back at her, "unless you don't want me to be here, of course." It probably wouldn't hurt much since it was late and all, but really, it didn't matter to her.

She sighed softly before responding, and sat on a nearby stool. "It's okay. The ground was still unstable." Hazuki assured him. Of course, one could see that it was his fault for going to the edge when it was obviously dangerous...but she wouldn't mention that. "They called the mission people and stuff, so it's fine. It sounds like you work too much, anyway." She looked up at all the medical equipment he was hooked up to to examine them more carefully, but only vaguely mentioned that "You'll be here for a little while." before stepping out a short moment afterwards.

*

And after that little while, Hazuki was back in the hospital lobby again, waiting for Kurai to be released. Relatively speaking, his treatment wasn't that long, but it seemed to her that Kurai would find that it took forever.

With all the treatment and physiotherapy he had to do within the hospital, combined with the awful smell of disinfectants and blinding florescent lights, Kurai was extremely pleased to be able to leave the hospital and breathe in fresh air. His arm would have the pins and rods for a long time, but that meant nothing since he got to keep his arm, despite how badly it looked. It was strapped across his chest to his opposite shoulder to keep stable, a comfortable sling keeping it in place. "H-hazuki," Kurai breathed out as he spotted his friend, surprised to see her being so dedicated to their friendship by being at the hospital for his release.

Kurai was given some clothing from when his parents visited him last, so he wore the simple black slacks and a black yukata that was loosely tied at the waist. His damaged arm didn't go through the sleeve, proving too difficult to maneuver. Kurai gently pulled the yukata closed over his arm and chest, his hand was quivering from the medication, his steps were a little lethargic, but it was expected.

He offered a slight smile, but his lips quickly returned to a thin, straight line, obviously tense. He wasn't sure how to feel now, seeing as Hazuki probably could be more productive rather than taking the time to see him. However, he wasn't going to dwell on it, he was thankful that she was here.

Kurai adjusted the strap so it stopped digging into the side of his neck then said, "I have been put on an indefinite medical leave.." Kurai clenched his jaw after realising how incredibly sad he sounded, so he continued shortly after in a more cheerful tone, "How have you been? I'm sorry to have gotten you mixed up in all this. " Somehow, Kurai felt that an apology to Hazuki was in order and that even though he was the one injured, Hazuki could have been better off continuing her daily routine, instead of visiting him. He was the type to do well by himself, but he did appreciate the concern. "I guess this one goes down in history as boys will be boys." No matter how intelligent he was, Kurai still had a knack for getting into precarious positions.

Really, it was the least she could do. When he called her name, she gave a low wave and let out a quiet "hi", probably because she was a bit taken aback when she saw the supports he had for his arm. It was just that she had never seen anything like that on him before. Maybe it was because she barely saw him when they were chuunin, let alone jounin, until their impromptu reunion that other day. Higher ranks were subject to more risks, anyway.

He was still weak, of course. The quick change from smile to a neutral face reflected that as well. But she didn't want to touch him. Hazuki just went back to studying again -- the usual, but she knew that it was bad to keep training and not take any breaks. She just took some of that time to visit.

"That's too bad," Hazuki whispered, not intending for it to sound that way at all. She cleared her throat as if to excuse that and continued on in her usual tone. "It's okay. It's no trouble. Everything's been the same with me," the kunoichi replied. Maybe she could have done something else, but she chose to visit, and that couldn't be changed.

She shook her head. "No...it's not like that." Hazuki didn't explain why, but she didn't want him to lump himself with all these other people so easily. She let out a breath and started digging around in her bag. "I had this when we were running...but couldn't give it to you because...you know." Hazuki pulled out a small, decorated bag filled with candy.

"See...it's like before." She gave him a gentle smile before offering it to him, but then she realised that it would probably be best for him not to take it just yet, so she drew her hand back again. "...Or I'll just hold it for you. We'll have it later." She laughed and walked over to the doors to hold them open for him.

Kurai eyed the small bag of candy and then let out a short laugh then with his free hand, he patted Hazuki's head as if she were a child. "You're so thoughtful." He said earnestly and offered a weak, but kind smile. It wasn't completely unlike Kurai to be nice, it just took a lot for people to see that side of him. "I know we haven't kept in touch over the years since the academy, but I've always thought of you as a genuine friend." He confessed in a slow, drugged tone. Kurai was obviously medicated with some heavy narcotic, but his words were true and it just took the influence of the drug to allow him to express himself.

He gave a small nod as he walked through the door and then he turned to face her, Hazuki's laugh making Kurai let out a small chuckle himself. "I'll have it later." He corrected her with a smug look on his face that no force could smack off. Kurai tilted his chin up and he gazed to the sky with his glossed over eyes, then said after taking a shallow breath, "I think I'll become an instructor at the academy." It was sudden, but after the accident, he was told that he may not have the movement he used to have in his arm. The medical shinobi and their chakra could only reconstruct so much, the rest was up to him. "Or maybe a blacksmith." He continued, "I've always fancied blacksmithing..." It was apparent that he was in his own world now, having a conversation with the wind, but when he looked back to Hazuki, he smiled and nodded his head to the side to indicate that she should follow him.

"Lets find a place to eat the candy. I don't want to go home yet." That meant disobeying his parents orders to return and rest as soon as possible, but they were both too busy to keep track of him anyways. "..Unless you need to be somewhere. I understand." Kurai tossed an apologetic look towards Hazuki. He was feeling more self-conscious about his selfishness right now more than ever.

It was funny that he'd pat her on the head as if there was a significant gap between them. A distance. And even if it wasn't the case, it still felt a bit like that. She knew he was obviously tired, but it was understandable, of course. "Ah, me too," Hazuki responded slowly, but clearly not in the same way as Kurai. She just knew that he was still affected by the treatment, and it was a bit...awkward, to say the least. Hazuki tended to think that what he was saying was super exaggerated.

She laughed again, a little slower than usual, watching his movements. "Huh?" Hazuki questioned, incredibly confused. Quite honestly, she couldn't even imagine that. Did he even like children? "Oh, my uncle does...uh," she stopped herself and in turn stopped being very encouraging, "but why? Have you really?" He was just being delusional of course, so maybe Hazuki was taking it a bit more seriously than she should have. Or maybe she was just giving him something more to talk about, who knows.

Hazuki started to follow him. "Well...okay then," she started, coming up a little closer to his side rather than his back, "there's nothing much else for me, really..." but that was probably only because she didn't think of anything more productive to do at the moment than hang around and eat candy. "So where do you wanna go then? Maybe the park, or what?"

Kurai adjusted his sling that held his injured arm, but didn't seem too fazed with it any more. He was lucky to be able to take to the chakra rods that stabilize his arm, but chance of rejection still lingers even though Kurai appears calm. He sent a smile towards Hazuki and nodded towards the park. "The park sounds great." He said slowly and groggily. Kurai was aware of what he was saying and how he sounded, but the great thing about the drug was that it really didn't make him care much about what people may think of him. He felt calm and pain free, so he wanted to take advantage of it.

They walked through the streets of the village and Kurai was careful about his arm when crowds would come around. His complexion seemed pale and clammy with garish shades under his eyes, but maybe it was his natural tone.. who knew someone deemed as a handsome young man could looks so flawed up close.

The park was surrounded by large trees, as expected in the Leaf village, and many groups of villagers were relaxing on this warm day. It made Kurai want to stay in the village even more now than ever. Maybe the injury is a blessing in disguise. Kurai spoke slowly, carefully processing his thoughts, "Hey... Hazuki-chan," Kurai kicked at some blades of grass that stood taller than the rest, "Would you be disappointed in me if I stop being a shinobi?" Kurai kept his gaze down at the grass, but did not appear to be sad or sullen. "Be honest, what would you think of me?" Finally he raised his eyes and turned to face Hazuki, but could not keep eye contact for long. Perhaps he was actually capable of being shy. "What do you think of me?" His question may come off more romanticized than he anticipated it. Kurai's parents were always concerned with the Uchiha reputation, but Kurai really did not know what people thought of him. "I.. I mean, am I a bad person?"

Once in the park she sat down cross-legged next to Kurai -- not too close, of course. She sighed and started watching people in a totally non-creepy way, waiting for him to talk. "Hm?" Hazuki sounded before he got to asking his first question, and turned her head towards him, "...of course not." There may have been a pause before she answered, but it truly didn't mean much. Maybe it didn't even matter because Kurai might have not picked up on it anyway. "Because people should do what they really want to do, and that's you, too." If he liked it, then it was fine. Perhaps his parents wouldn't be okay with it, though. Her parents wouldn't like it if she quit the shinobi way, even. But even if she was one because of them, she still wanted to do it. Maybe it'd be nice to just be a painter or something, but she couldn't imagine not being a ninja anymore, even if she wasn't the best.

"Um..." Hazuki stared off to the side for a little while as she contemplated his question. It was rather broad and simply just a hard question to answer in the first place. But she'd try, even if it came out vague and nonsensical. Hazuki looked back at the side of his head, seeing as he wasn't looking her way anymore. "...Uh, well, I like you. Maybe you changed a lot more over the years I haven't seen you, but that hasn't changed for me, you know." She drew in a breath before continuing.

"I don't think you're a bad person at all," Hazuki answered softly. Of course, she didn't know if he did bad stuff in those absent years, but it couldn't be all that bad, could it? Then he wouldn't be able to even be sitting out here with her...yeah. Made sense. "Why would you think that?"

Kurai kept quiet after Hazuki had given him her answer. He seemed to be testing out how it sounded in his head, digesting it slowly. When Hazuki sat down, Kurai lowered himself carefully and seemed heavy as he sat beside her, as if gravity was taking a toll on his body finally. Or maybe it was the drugs. "I don't know what I'm saying," He lied. He knew very well what he was talking about, but did not want Hazuki to think any differently of him, however Kurai continued, "I'm a mess. I'm a genius, but I'm a mess. How does that happen?"

He smoothed his bangs back with his hand, but his hair inevitably fell back into place, albeit a bit messy. "You're happy right?" Kurai asked. He turned his head and stared at her with a curious gaze. "I mean, you look really happy. I think I have been very envious of you for that." Kurai licked his lips slowly, his mouth felt dry as a desert and his lips were chapped. He let his gaze trail to the other people in the park, but wasn't absorbing any information from what he was seeing. His head was clearly in the clouds from the blank expression on his face.

"That is why I have suddenly started talking to you again after so long." Kurai confessed but did not move or change his expression. However, his hand did clench the soft fabric of the yukata he was wearing, a wee bit shaky. "I want to be happy and you seem to make me smile." Kurai tore his gaze from across the park and stared at Hazuki with half lidded eyes shadowed by his lashes. "I am jealous of you." His voice was clear and hard. Kurai didn't mean for it to sound harsh, or by any means.. aggressive, but when he thought of Hazuki, he could only remember her smile and her dimples. Did she get those dimples by smiling so much? Kurai stared at her for a moment longer, but when she did not say anything he sighed and turned his head downwards. His hair fell over his eyes and now his hand was plucking at some blades of grass.

Even though he lied, Hazuki believed him -- it made sense if it was the truth, anyway. It was more unlikely that he would know everything he was talking about clearly, right? She found his statement arrogant, but that wasn't anything new. "The most intelligent people seem to be the most troubled a lot of the time," she told him. Maybe she didn't know if the thing was a fact, but it wasn't simply just a feeling, either.

She blinked at him after he licked his lips and thought about what he asked. Being happy wasn't something one was perpetually, and it sort of sounded like that was what Kurai was saying. But she wasn't sad at the moment, so... "Yes..." Her reply didn't sound quite solid due to his rather broad question -- it was hard to say. Hazuki was glad that he said she looked happy at least, because she didn't like it at all when people worried about her state of well-being. These days it was easier, though. She let out a short, quiet laugh before continuing. "Really..." It sounded a bit awkward because she wasn't quite sure what to say. Was a good shinobi even supposed to be "really happy"? Wouldn't that mean that they didn't get to do a lot of work? She wasn't even sure anymore.

Because he did say that he didn't know what he was saying, she was more inclined not to take his words too seriously. At least, she tried not to that much. "Heh...well, good thing you found me then," Hazuki began, switching her legs around, "I don't know why you'd be jealous. I think more people would be jealous of you than me." She didn't seem to think of the fact that he could actually be jealous of her because she couldn't even fathom the idea of someone envying her at all. But when she saw him looking down to pull out some bits of grass, she remembered that he probably didn't mean much of it anyway.

Hazuki sighed, extended her legs, then leaned back a bit so that she wasn't exactly lying down, but supported a bit off the ground with her forearms. "But I do hope for your happiness." She stared up at the sky. "It sucks not being happy very much."

Kurai tossed the plucked grass lazily into the wind, which didn't carry it far in front of them. He seemed to tense up his lips with thought, slowly dissecting her words as if it were some kind of puzzle or riddle. "I understand it all, but can't apply it to myself." He stated it as a fact and then sighed heavily. Realising he was sounding rather down and a bit dramatic, Kurai shielded his face with his hand from Hazuki's sight and smoothed back some of the hair out of place. "I'm.. sorry that I am talking so much." He apologize awkwardly but when he looked back to Hazuki finally, he offered a weak smile. Kurai truly felt like he was hijacking their time together by being, well.. high on drugs.

He watched as she lay back on her arms and so he lowered himself onto his back carefully, making sure not to agitate his arm. "People are only envious of me, because I'm an Uchiha. Not because I'm anything special." Even though he was exceptional at almost everything. "I was raised to be a shinobi, but when I could think for myself." He paused and cast his gaze back to her, "I just began to question a lot of things." He stared at her a moment longer, then returned his gaze to the sky.

Kurai smiled briefly when she hoped for his happiness, but he wasn't quite sure how he was feeling. "Are you happy?" Kurai asked gently, not sure if maybe Hazuki has a facade of happiness. He wasn't meaning to pry or anything of that sort, he just wanted to get to know Hazuki once again. Over the years he has changed so much, he was wondering if Hazuki was grown up as well. They couldn't stay children forever. "I would never think you'd ever know how to be sad, you always seem cheerful.." Kurai felt a pang of guilt hit his heart, as he wanted to know more about Hazuki, but felt he was still demanding attention.. whether it's because he was injured or an Uchiha, it always felt the conversation was about him no matter what.

"I think that's the same as lots of people," she assured him. Well, it did seem so...how many people had ideas they couldn't execute? Was that it? Maybe she didn't even get it enough either. "No, it's okay." Hazuki seemed to be okay with many things, seeing as she's said the same thing to him several times now. And it probably didn't matter too much to her about him being high; after all, all the rest of the time he wasn't, so it's not like it changes everything all of a sudden.

She laughed and closed her eyes for a moment. "I think you are." It was all subjective, anyway. But it was probably nothing since it was just the opinion of one person...or would it really be nothing to him? Hazuki blew out a breath of air and continued. "Yeah..." and it was the same for her too, but probably not to the same extent as him. Otherwise she'd probably be at least a little more opinionated and, well, smarter socially.

There was a pause, but she tried not to let it hang for too long. Years ago, she'd probably answer immediately, but it seemed too fake if she still did that now. "I'm happy now," Hazuki answered, trying to find some kind of animal in the clouds. There was a longer wait after his second statement, and she let herself lie down flat, her hands folded over her stomach. "I think it's something that everyone learns eventually. Especially shinobi like us." Her voice was quiet, but not the same kind of quiet that her voice became sometimes. Fair, she hadn't experienced the same amount of pain as others, but it still hurt all the same.

"But it's okay." Everything was okay. Everything seemed to be okay with her. "Nobody really likes hearing that kind of stuff anyway, right? So it's fine."

Kurai closed his eyes slowly, as if he were about to fall into a deep slumber. His breath was shallow still and barely audible, one might mistake him for dead if he didn't speak. Even the way his head rolled to the side seemed to lack any intentional muscle movement. His eyes opened and found Hazuki laying on her back, so he had to adjust his head to see her face properly. "Now?" He questioned slowly, "Were you not happy before?" His voice was slow, a result from the drugs.

For a moment, Kurai began pressing his fingers against his bandaged arm, testing the pain, and when he figured it wasn't too bad, he slipped the sling off his arm and gently pulled at the white bandages to allow the air to get at his skin. It hurt, but was also refreshing. "But being okay.. would you just settle for something that is okay?" Kurai pressed further, "Why not aim higher.. " There was a slight pause and Kurai managed to lift himself up onto his good elbow then turned so he could look down at Hazuki, "Sugar coating something bad... it doesn't make it okay." Kurai knew all too well the feeling of unresolved issues, especially with how his parents put their reputation above their own son's health. "Maybe we are born to think differently than the earlier generations.. their concerns seem to be in all the wrong places.." His voice nearly cracked, a product of holding back emotions.
Realising that he was sounded a little too down, yet again, Kurai shook his head and smiled warmly at Hazuki, to try and reassure her he was okay. "I think it is time for us to eat that candy." Kurai may have said it a little too quickly, but only with the good intention of sparing Hazuki from his woes that really were only pulled forward, because of the drugs. "Tell me about what you have been doing since the academy?"

"Er, well, no...I mean, I was," Hazuki gave him an unstable answer as she realised how wrong her initial reply sounded, "it's just..." she trailed off, taking a little time to think of a better way to word things. She looked up at Kurai, watching him adjust his bandages. "...I don't think you can expect everyone to be happy all the time, no matter what." No matter how much they seem to be happy, it doesn't actually prove how much they are happy in reality. It sort of seemed like what Kurai thought of Hazuki. Though maybe that was...okay...

Hazuki sighed as he turned to look at her. "I don't know. Maybe I should." Maybe it was too hard or something like that...but wouldn't it be worth it in the end? She didn't think very much about it. She rubbed her forehead as if to rub away a pain. "I know." But she still did it anyway. It was a bad habit, but one she got used to when she didn't want people to be concerned about her when there were more important things to be addressed. It was funny that Kurai mention that older people might have different priorities, because she did begin to wonder what they'd do if they did know more about how she felt. Maybe they'd just brush it off and leave her to deal with it herself...except her grandmother, as she was never a shinobi and therefore had a much different demeanour than many others Hazuki knew. "I think so, too."

She smiled back -- perhaps it was just a reflex, perhaps not. "Hmm...same old stuff. Training, missions...yeah, I'm going to try to become a medic-nin now. I'm allowed to write scripts in scrolls and bomb tags now..." Hazuki wasn't sure what to say, and could only come up with work-related things than something a little more personal. "What about you, then?" But if Kurai said something more along those lines, maybe it'd be easier for her.

Kurai continued to fumble with the bandages, but his attention was on what Hazuki was saying. His half-lidded eyes scanned the damaged arm, the field, then finally landed on Hazuki again. He stared at her like he didn't believe her and his mouth was a strict, straight line. Many would say he looked like a spitting image of his dad. "No," He sighed out slowly and broke his gaze off her finally. "You're right. I'm sorry for prying." An unexpected apology from the Uchiha, it would be more in character to constantly drill Hazuki with more questions. Maybe she did not trust him now, because he was a completely different person now after all.

Carefully, he began to apply the bandage to his arm again, but not as tight as the nurse had done. He was silent for awhile, not sure if talking was his strong suit anymore. It might have been a big mistake to get involved with Hazuki again. Kurai's dark eyes lowered to the ground in a sullen way, but that was just how people always saw him. He always seemed to be moody. The silence continued between them after Hazuki's question to him and the only sound from him was a shaky sigh. He was starting to feel nauseous from the drugs and it showed. "You'll make a great medic," He complimented with as much cheer as he could muster in his voice, but he meant it. "I have faith that you will do great things." Even though he was gloomy, he tried to sound as genuinely happy as he could for her.

Kurai slowly stood up and brushed his pants off slowly, then spoke calmly. "I'll be right back." Kurai passed Hazuki and after a few minutes, returned with a few juice boxes and some snacks in a bag. "I shouldn't just eat candy." He half smiled and sat down next to her again. Kurai handed her a juice box and placed the snacks between them so they could share them. "Um.. about me?" Said Kurai, remembering her earlier question, "Just a lot of missions. I have enough money now to last me years without taking on another one." He definitely was a financial genius and didn't spend any money if he didn't have to. It also helped his house was paid off years before he moved in, thanks to his grandparents. "I don't take any satisfaction in being a shinobi anymore. I guess I just want to settle down." Kurai poked the straw through the juice box and popped a few pills in his mouth, then downed them quickly with the juice. After he swallowed his medication, Kurai let out a content sigh and cocked his head so he could look at his friend. "I just don't want to tell my parents." Kurai cracked a wide smile, then let out a little laugh.

His gaze was intimidating, but she wasn't looking right at him but rather more at his arm, so it wasn't as bad. "It's okay." Again and again. Would she ever say anything otherwise? It was almost as if saying it over and over would weaken the truth, but honestly, it was okay. Or if it wasn't completely okay, it was for the most part. And that was fine, too. And anyway, he was on drugs, so things were likely to be at least a little different with him.

She could hear the strain in his voice, and she smiled, knowing that he didn't even have to say anything like that at all. But he did anyway, so that was something. "Thank you very much," Hazuki thanked him warmly, looking right up at him now. She didn't do that very much, looking most people right in the eye. Usually it was only for people she knew the most and the longest. She probably still had that association with Kurai, despite the years of absence.

When Kurai left, she rolled over on her side, then sat up properly when he came back. Hazuki thanked him for the juice and snacks and poked the straw into the juice box. "You must have been on a lot, then," she noted, chewing on the plastic straw before taking a sip. She didn't have nearly as much money as he did saved up, though that was because the missions she was assigned tend not to be on the higher ranks...and the paint she liked wasn't cheap, either. "Ah, I see." Hazuki didn't sound disappointed though; it just sounded odd to her as it seemed that he did actually like it. Maybe that was just talk.

Hazuki could sympathise with him, like she could with many people. "Yeah. Sounds scary." She started to chew on the straw again, sort of like a person biting their nails because they were anxious. "I wish people would understand." It was probably too much work. Or more likely, they probably just didn't care at all.

Kurai listened and drank slowly out of the straw, his eyelids feeling heavy even though he was not tired. The drugs wanted him to dream, he figured since every time he closed his eyes, a myriad of vivd shapes that, when focused on, change so quick that whatever shape it once was was forgotten. "The Sharingan is very useful," Kurai spoke calmly, but did not continue after that. It seemed like he cut himself off short. He stared at the juice box, or rather, past it.

As if he snapped out of a daze, Kurai listed his gaze and looked to Hazuki with his intense eyes yet again. "If you weren't a shinobi, what would you be doing?" Spoke Kurai suddenly, but his stare made it seem like he had been mulling about that question all day. His eyes closed out of heaviness, but he made it clear he was not dosing off, "Anything, doesn't matter about time, money.. if you had a choice, what would you be?" As if being a shinobi was the only choice, even though there were avenues to do anything, Kurai was pressured by his parents to be a shinobi. If everyone was one, why not be one too? He only recently began to think for himself and his own happiness, not his parents.

He partially opened his eyes but they were downcast and off to the side. He was no longer staring at Hazuki with intensity, but maybe his demeanor now was more along the lines of "lost hope". "..I understand." Kurai reassured Hazuki. Even though it might have been clear to her that he understood her, he felt the need to say it as if it would take on a physical form and prove to him that he was different. "Do you want to run away?"

It was a bit sad, because just like what they were told in school, shinobi are supposedly living tools. Picked only when useful and left alone or even disposed of when they begin to lose its power over time. And since the Sharingan was useful, then it was very clear why he -- as well as others with kekkei genkai -- would be used often. She got it now.

She kept chewing on the straw as she thought of what to say. "...A painter," Hazuki decided. It was just funny how she needed to pause a moment before answering, even though she knew what she loved and could easily formulate an answer around that. Perhaps it was just strange to think of what else she'd be, seeing as she was basically born to be a shinobi. "How about you, then?" On the flip side of the issue...if everyone was a shinobi, then why be yet another one? Other people needed to work on other things anyway. Even her clan wasn't completely full of people who are or were once shinobi.

She figured he'd understand. "But you know, it seems a lot of people don't get it either." Hazuki sighed and put a hand on her cheek as she drained the juice box to less than half its capacity. And while of course she was well aware that the medication was doing something to his mind, his last question still gave her a bit of a shock. "Huh? No..." Hazuki blinked at him a few times as if she might have only imagined him saying what he just said. "Why would I do that?" She didn't think she was speaking too badly of life as a shinobi in Konoha at all, but maybe it projected differently.

"...That medicine's pretty powerful. You should probably go home, maybe." Hazuki suggested, shifting her legs. She tended to speak a little vaguely so she wouldn't sound so forceful...though that probably wouldn't bother Kurai that much as it bothered her.

Kurai took some of the chips he had placed between them and ate them slowly. His expression was completely deadpan, but his eyes were more focused on Hazuki than they were previously. "I never knew you liked art." Kurai actually wasn't sure if he could remember seeing Hazuki draw in the academy or not, or if it was all in his imagination. "Do you have any paintings..?" His voice trailed off as he aimed another chip for his mouth.

He straightened his back when Hazuki questioned him, but he instantly recoiled back into a slouch, because of his shoulder. "Ahh.." Kurai spoke nervously. Maybe Hazuki was really patriotic and loyal to Konoha.. he was starting to think he may have offended her. "Oh, it was just a question.. curiosity." he covered and shut himself up with the juice box, which was almost empty. When the juice was gargling up the straw, Kurai stopped and began fumbling with the straw, as if the box wasn't empty and toying with the straw would fix it.

As soon as she mentioned the medicine, Kurai stopped fumbling with the straw and could feel his fingers trembling. The medication was very strong, even for him. "I'm sorry," he apologized softly, then slowly bundled the snacks and left over juice boxes together, "I'll go home now." Spoken in a hurry, Kurai was losing some of the control he had over himself before he took the pills recently. "Um, how about you keep this..?" Kurai was talking about the bundle of drinks and snacks, but before she could answer, he hastily pushed it towards her with his one hand.

He was a little shocked at his own actions and how he wasn't necessarily thinking about what he was doing and saying. He stopped rushing Hazuki to accept the bundle, and leaned back as if he had realised he was being odd. "Forget the run away thing. If people knew an Uchiha had said something like that.. with the history.." he paused and then tried to stand up on his feet, "I think the Hokage would crack down on us.." Once he was standing, he turned to face his friend and his expression was a little more controlled, "I would like to see some of your art sometime, Hazuki~chan." Kurai nodded his head in a small bow, "Thank you for today and everything."

Well, seeing as she didn't talk much and wasn't very noticeable especially then, it was no surprise. "Yeah...at my house and stuff. Some of the banners on the stores of my relatives were made by me, too." She answered a bit awkwardly, feeling that he was being more polite than interested. It seemed that he was more interested in the chips, which Hazuki didn't feel like touching right now because she was feeling a little...not thin. A bit silly to be feeling self-conscious now, but she was okay with just chewing on her straw.

She wasn't quite sure why he was acting so nervous -- was he expecting a much different reaction? And why? "I..." she was cut off by his quick speech. Really, it wasn't a big deal at all. Hazuki extended her hand to make some kind of gesture towards him, but that was stopped when he handed her the snacks. "Oh...thank you." She really was thankful, but her voice was tinged with confusion. The change of pace was so sudden.

Hazuki was rather quiet the whole time he was rambling on, but that was mostly because she didn't know what to say. "I, er, hold on," she said quickly, hopping up to her feet as well. She dusted herself off before continuing. "Well...do you want to run away? Hazuki tried her best not to sound accusing or confrontational, but rather closer to a question just out of plain curiosity...which it was. "But why?" Maybe it was just easier than telling him parents. It was just strange to Hazuki, who always thought he was a brave person.

Kurai looked up quickly when Hazuki questioned him, and he started to sweat a bit. He mumbled out some incoherent words and then somehow managed to look up from under his eyelashes towards her, his head bowed and he almost looked like he had been caught stealing right in front of her. Kurai wouldn't be so fidgety if it wasn't for the pain killers. His skin was burning hot and clammy, not to mention his skin was turning grey. He shouldn't have stood up so fast. "No! No.." He softened his voice after he realised his voice can be intimidating. He looked away.

It was something that suddenly became uncomfortable and Kurai seemed to recoil from Hazuki. Not that he was afraid that she would hurt him, but his healthy arm retracted towards his chest as a guard. His injured arm remain still. "I'm just.. a little lost." He spoke under his breath and he avoided eye contact since he looked off to the side now. He didn't realise it until he went to reach out to Hazuki, but his arm had been shaking. In fact, his whole body was trembling. Kurai slowly sat down on the spot, his eyes were a little wide. He stayed silent for a few seconds before he turned his head to look up at Hazuki. "I am so sorry. I am not usually like this." He tried to sound convincing, but it must have come off desperate. His dark hair was sticking to his clammy skin on his forehead and cheeks, but he did not attempt to clear his view or move the strands. Kurai just stared at her, but not as intense as he could have.

"I can't be lost.." He spoke up, but his voice sounded weak. Kurai finally tore his gaze from Hazuki and stared straight ahead of himself. He was finally allowing some of the stone wall break down, but he would also very quick to rebuild if Hazuki wasn't careful.

She waited patiently for him to speak properly, knowing that medicine had to be part of the problem. He looked away, and she knew that feeling of not wanting to be looked at, so Hazuki looked straight ahead instead of right at him, just so she could see him though her peripheral vision. Then he disappeared from her sight. She thought about what he said, processing it, trying to figure out the best way to respond. "Please don't worry about it," Hazuki insisted in her soft tone, bowing her head but still not looking down at him. She drew in a deep breath quietly.

"Well, if you're lost..." Hazuki started slowly, "...you shouldn't run away, right? That could make it worse. You stay where you are...then retrace your steps to find your way back." She didn't speak as vaguely as she usually would so she wouldn't come off as forceful, but a little more direct. Nothing demanding, of course. Then she lowered herself down so she could face him, looking at his face, but not right at his eyes. She spoke quietly, like any louder would hurt him.

Hazuki let a little silence in to allow her words to sink in for a moment, then continued. "And you can go back." She couldn't tell how serious his situation was, but even if his words were largely fuelled by drugs, Hazuki didn't want to brush the whole thing off completely. "It might take a little time...but you'll find the way." She paused again and, hesitating for a split second, gently put her hand over his shaky one. Hazuki stared down at them, but didn't waste more time thinking about what she just did. "I'm sure of it." Then she looked a little closer to his eyes and smiled.

It was the bravest she'd felt in a while.

Kurai looked to Hazuki as she spoke, but instead of taking her advice not to worry about it he felt like he shouldn't have said anything at all. Feeling that her stare was off him he took a moment to safely glance back towards her without the threat of eye contact. He bowed his head though shortly after and felt his chest tighten with regret of what he thought and said.

He didn't move when she lowered herself to face him and he brought his dark grey eyes up so she could acknowledge that he was listening. He also didn't look away like before and maybe it was because she didn't have an intense face, or she wasn't exactly staring at him dead on. Either way, Kurai appreciated that Hazuki wasn't an overbearing girl and he felt comfortable around her. Now he remembers why he befriended her as children.

If it wasn't for the birds and wind, Kurai could have gotten lost in the moment, not because it was anything romantic, but he didn't want to be alone right now. "Hazuki-chan," His voice was heavy and slow. "..I don't want to go back." he replied cautiously, "If I do, there is nothing left for me." Not exactly the case though. There was a lot left for him, just not what he wanted anymore. He had to move forward, not backwards. The boy was not seeing his life clearly, but instead he saw a shell of what people wanted of him and he was just some bystander watching it unfold. The corners of his lips turned down involuntarily, a tiny quiver held the lower lip as if he were about to break down, but he quickly composed himself with a deep breath before Hazuki would could second guess it. Kurai was not some crybaby and it would be embarrassing for him to let the water works show in front of her.

"Ah.. I'm sorry." Kurai said suddenly, "It must be hard to listen to others complain so much." He said with as much control over his voice as he could muster. It was at this point he realised he was had stared at Hazuki for a rather uncomfortable amount of time, at least for him, and he quickly averted his gaze ahead of him. "You're right though. I guess time will fix things." Kurai just didn't like to sit around waiting for it to happen. He was used to instant results. His eyes trailed to their hands and he stared once again with his half closed eyes when he suddenly burst out in a tone that actually sounded a bit excited. "Would you like to get something to eat?" Suggested Kurai while he slowly gathered himself up and stood on his feet, gently trying to help raise Hazuki to her feet while he held onto her hand still. "It's getting warm, I don't know if it's the medication or what.. but I could use some watermelons."